Character analysis of The Hunger Artist
In his short story “The Hunger Artist”, Franz Kafka tells the story of an unusual artist, who performs a dying art. The action kicks off with a recollection of how successful the hunger artists use to be in days gone by. Sadly enough, the action comes to a close with the seemingly unnoticed death of the artist. The main character and protagonist of this story is the hunger artist himself. The hunger artist is a flat character due to his inability to change. ... In my paper, I argue that the attention from the audience is what the main character lives and ultimately dies for. ... Many of us see the cage as a prison but to the hunger artist it is his display case for his performance. ... This is symbolic of the cage being a stage for the hunger artist to use in his show. ... The audience is symbolic of the infatuation that the hunger artist has with being the center of attention. ... The actions that are used by the hunger artist show his dedication to his profession. ... This use of imagery by Kafka shows how the hunger artist had withered away.